There are various kinds of content distribution services for distributing contents such as videos on a communication network. In the content distribution service, it is required to control authorities, permission and the like with respect to usage of the service and viewing of contents by a user. In other words, such controls are required with respect to reception and reproduction of the contents by apparatus of the user. Conventionally, for the controls, account information associated with a user who uses the content distribution service has been used. A content distribution server carries out authentication by using the account information. In a case where a result of the authentication is success, the user is permitted to receive and reproduce the contents via the apparatus of the user.
On the other hand, in recent years, the case where plural kinds of apparatuses including a TV receiver (hereinafter, referred to also as a “display apparatus” or the like) are connected to a home network of a user and a home system is thereby constructed is increased.
As an example of prior art regarding restriction to view contents, Japanese Patent No. 5,248,180 (Patent Document 1) is cited. In Patent Document 1, as an “operation target apparatus”, it is described that “a permitter who has authority grants permission for an operator for whom execution of a predetermined operation is restricted by a simple operation, whereby the operator is allowed to carry out the restricted operation”.